Guillaume Hoarau, whom everyone calls "16", is the adventurer of Best Batteries. The nickname has nothing to do with geography: it comes from his openly admitted fondness for a certain lager whose name ends in 1664, which insiders happily shorten to "16". The team settled the matter long ago, it will be "16" on his badge as well as at the coffee machine.
As head of content and, officially, the site's publication manager, he sets the tone of the editorial line, approves the articles and keeps the whole thing consistent. A power bank specialist, he has put hundreds of them through their paces, from the tiniest models to fifty-thousand-milliamp-hour monsters. His method is unlike any other: rather than the laboratory, he chooses real life. He takes the units hiking, lends them to his children for their tablets and puts them through everyday abuse for weeks before writing a single line. The result: tests that talk about real use, actual weight in the backpack and usable runtime, not just numbers.
Convinced that honest content is what sets Best Batteries apart from ordinary shops, he constantly pushes the team to go further. His guides on choosing a power bank, taking batteries on a plane and portable solar panels are among the most-read pieces on the blog.
Away from the office, Guillaume lives his passion to the full. A fan of wild camping, hiking and travel, he is also hooked on prepping and survivalism. For a few years now he has been restoring an old farmhouse he dreams of making fully self-sufficient: already 100% energy-independent (solar, wind and storage batteries), and not far off for the rest. Needless to say, he tests solar power banks and power stations in the most real-world conditions imaginable. That sensibility makes him the natural writer for the site whenever a topic touches on autonomy, energy resilience or gear for getting by far from the grid.
A 1920 Wh LiFePO4 expansion module for the SolarFlow Hub 2000 and Hyper 2000 hubs: unlike some other Zendure ecosystems, this one has a genuine two-tracker MPPT solar input, but the system's round-trip efficiency caps out around 80% and the AB2000 line is already on its fourth generation in three years.
Published on September 8, 2026 by Guillaume
With 280 lumens spread across 360°, two magnets, and a 3000 mAh battery that can also top up a phone, this small lantern under £25 has held its ground for a decade against far more complete and far pricier rivals.
Published on September 8, 2026 by Guillaume
The Marstek Saturn B2500-D kicked off the balcony battery trend in Germany and remains one of the most affordable units on the market. A usable capacity close to 90% and a genuine 15-minute install are real strengths, but its 8960 Wh expansion ceiling is now the lowest in the segment, and its nameplate 1600 W of solar input does not hold up with every panel.
Published on September 8, 2026 by Guillaume
A genuinely IP67-rated shell backed by a lifetime warranty, but the lowest output power and one of the weakest real-world efficiencies in its class: this DeWalt power bank trades charging performance for jobsite toughness.
Published on September 8, 2026 by Guillaume
A small three-port GaN charger for around ten euros, whose "3 devices at once" pitch hides a power-sharing scheme worth understanding before buying: 30W solo, roughly 15W as soon as two ports turn on at the same time.
Published on September 7, 2026 by Guillaume
The advertised 3000 lumens are real, but they only hold for a couple of minutes: here is what this 3-in-1 work light is actually worth once the spec sheet is checked line by line, battery and mosquito repeller included.
Published on September 7, 2026 by Guillaume
A versatile 1056Wh, 1600W station, the Allpowers R1500 Lite delivers on its UPS function and remote control. Its charging speed and real-world output need more nuance than the spec sheet suggests.
Published on September 7, 2026 by Guillaume
Under its copper storm-lantern looks, the Olantern Classic 2 Pro hides a 40.32 Wh battery that doubles as an 18W power bank, a 300-lumen setting that only holds for 20 minutes, and a runtime that contradicts the maker's claims in both directions.
Published on September 7, 2026 by Guillaume
20,000mAh on the box, 64 to 70Wh of real capacity, a recycled GRS plastic shell and a weight that comes in under the advertised 400g: the Xtorm FS5200 delivers on its promise of a compact format. Its 35W per USB-C port, though, only holds when a single device is plugged in.
Published on September 7, 2026 by Guillaume
The small white brick Apple sells separately now that the iPhone box no longer includes one. 20W on the label, a single USB-C port, and one figure the official spec sheet never gives: its exact weight.
Published on September 7, 2026 by Guillaume
Two USB-C cables already attached to the case and a real 45 W from one port: the Baseus FC11 10000 promises four devices charging at once in a slimmer shell than its closest built-in-cable rival. The same product name, though, also covers a unit twice the size, and the two are easy to mix up.
Published on September 7, 2026 by Guillaume
A 300 m beam, a lantern with high colour-rendering LEDs and a 10,000mAh battery share a single IP67 shell, but the third function trails well behind the first two.
Published on September 7, 2026 by Guillaume
Updated on September 1, 2026
